


Nothing Lasts Forever

by icegirl99



Series: Nothing Lasts Forever [1]
Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-23 00:28:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20883164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icegirl99/pseuds/icegirl99
Summary: What if Papa knew his fate? Copia finds Papa crying in the hallway and comforts him. No established relationships.





	Nothing Lasts Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Damn that hurt. Wrote this quickly while listening to Visions of Atlantis and looking at that adorable fanart of Copia hugging Papa III. No established relationship here. Just Copia/Papa friendship angst.

The hallways were dark, and silent. Copia was heading up to his room to finally get some rest after a long day when he passed a dark figure sitting in the corner of the hallway. The figure was sitting on the cold, stone floor, back to the wall with their knees pulled up to their chest, head in their hands. Copia stopped. “Is everything alright?” he asked, hoping to give some comfort to this poor soul, stepping closer so he could see who it was.

The Cardinal took in a slightly surprised breath as the man lifted his head to look at him. The mismatched eyes, the black suit with the perfectly pressed white shirt, the beautiful skull paint. “I’m fine Cardinal,” Papa Emeritus III replied as he took in a breath as well, however it was shaky. 

Copia looked at him, wracking his brain for something to say. Papa had tears in his eyes and Copia wondered if maybe he should just continue down the hall but decided against it. He had never seen the Pope like this. It was unlikely that anyone had, or ever would again. Whatever it was that was bothering him, Copia was determined to figure it out. He shuffled his feet and clasped his hands together nervously as he tried to find words. 

Making his decision, as Papa dropped his head back into his hands, Copia decided to say nothing. Instead he just got down on the floor beside Papa and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly. 

“What do you want?” Papa muttered quietly into his hands. 

“I don’t want anything,” Copia replied, pulling away and staring at the wall across from him. He was going to sit here as long as his Pope needed him to. “And I’m not going anywhere, so don’t tell me to fuck off.”

“Fuck off,” Papa said smiled only slightly. Sighing, he straightened out a leg, dropped a hand to his thigh, and looked up at the same wall Copia was staring at. 

“You just said that because I told you not to, didn’t you?” Copia asked, both men refusing to look at each other. 

“I guess I did,” Papa muttered, wiping away his tears with the back of his white gloved hand. 

They both sat there in silence for a few moments. Copia trying to glance at Papa. He still didn’t know what was wrong with him but he decided that it didn’t matter. He was only here to comfort Papa. “Is there anything I can do?” Copia asked, “paperwork? Rituals? A Mass?”

Papa shook his head. “It’s not that,” he replied. He let out a long hiss. Copia was going to find out in the morning, whether or not Papa told him. It wasn’t going to change anything. “Father has sentenced me to die tomorrow.”

Copia felt something pull at his heart. An intense feeling of anxiety and grief washing over him. He swallowed and took in a breath. “How long have you known?”

Papa shrugged. “The signs were there for a while,” he said. “It wasn’t hard to figure out. I just didn’t know when it would come. And now it has.”

“He’s angry with you?” Copia offered, his own tears stinging at his eyes. His heart was fluttering in his chest, his tears threatening to fall as he fought back sobs. Although he had never really been close to Papa, he cared about him. 

“He’s replacing me.” Papa looked at Copia, his eyes already looked dead. The light that Copia usually saw in them, gone. Copia pulled him into his arms again. “I’m sorry, Copia,” Papa was crying again. “You don’t need to be here.” He pushed Copia away gently and stood up, wiping his tears away and smoothing his clothes. 

Copia looked up at him. “Do you need to pray?” he asked, tears finally falling. 

“No,” Papa said. He turned away from Copia. “I’ve made my peace with my fate, Cardinal.” Papa started to walk down the hallway, leaving Copia sitting on the floor, feeling like a piece of him was dying with the other man.

“I’ll miss you, Emeritus,” Copia muttered. 

“I’ll miss you too, Copia.”


End file.
